The Difference Between Sacketts and Atwoods
by Gibasi
Summary: Just a drabble set before The Pilot. Ryan and Trey talk late at night.


Ryan and Trey drabble

The usual disclaimers. PG13 for Language

Set before The Pilot

"Don't fool yourself, Ryan." Trey slurred his words and Ryan didn't need the lights on to know how Trey looked right now. Slumped against the wall, on his bed, eyes half closed, the ashtray perched precariously next to him on the rumpled covers. "Things wouldn't be any different if Mom woke up tomorrow and stopped drinking. She'd still be the mean fucking bitch she is right now. Just a sober mean, fucking bitch."

"Trey", Ryan warned. "Shut up." His hands clenched into fists. "Don't talk about Mom like that. You don't talk about any lady like that and especially not Mom." He glared at Trey in the darkness. He didn't doubt that Trey would whip his ass but he wasn't going to let Trey talk about Mom like that.

Trey laughed, a bitter scornful laugh. "Lady? Mom? Come on. This isn't like those books you are always reading. Those dumb cowboy books with their code of honor and all that shit. John Wayne bullshit. Louie La Fucking More Bullshit. Bullshit" He shouted the last word.

"Shhh" Ryan hissed. "You'll wake her up." Ryan listened intently but didn't hear anyone stirring in the next room.

"Right, Ryan. She's passed out. Nothing's going to wake her up."

"Maybe, but be quiet."

"You know what your problem is, Ry? You read too much. All that fairy tale shit. Cowboys. Heroes! No such thing. Here you want some" In the faint moonlight from the window Ryan saw Trey hold out his can of Coke. The can he kept topping off with rum.

Ryan shook his head but Trey wasn't looking at him, gazing instead at the end of his cigarette. "You don't remember but I do. I remember when Mom wasn't always drunk. When we'd all eat dinner together. Mom, Dad, us. It wasn't so great. See this scar"

Ryan knew Trey was holding out his arm.

"Mom did that. Knocked me into the window and the damn thing broke. Mom did it! Sober Mom! Just pissed off Mom. Pissed off because Dad was late and she had dinner on the table."

"I know, Trey." Ryan spoke so softly he didn't think Trey heard him. "It's okay. Nothing's your fault. You would've helped if you'd been here. I know." Ryan shifted on his own bed trying to get comfortable. He involuntarily hissed with pain as he leaned back against the pillow.

"I'm gonna get my own place, Ry. And when I do, you come live with me. Leave her sorry ass. I'll take care of you. I'll get a job, you know. Doing something. I'll be 16 in a couple of months. I'm gonna look for something for us."

"Sure, Trey."

"Here, come on. It helps. You know. With the hurt." Trey again offered the coke and rum. "You know they always use it as painkiller in those books of yours. You know, right before they take out the bullet and then brand the guy."

Ryan laughed. "They don't brand the guy Trey. They do that to cauterize the wound so it doesn't get infected."

"Yeah whatever. It stops the hurt."

Ryan laughed again. "Okay, give it to me." Ryan painfully leaned over and took the can. He took a long swallow.

"Why do you like those books so much anyway"

Ryan thought. "Because the main character (he would not say hero not wanting to set Trey off on another tirade) knows what to do. He knows what's right and wrong. And he does the right thing. And sometimes it's hard and he gets hurt but he still does the right thing. Saves the girl. Saves the poor villagers. Whatever." Ryan thought some more. "You know which my favorites are" There was a long pause and Ryan thought maybe Trey had fallen asleep.

"No, what"

"Louis L'Amour's Sackett books. Because they're about family. All these guys all over the west. If they have the name Sackett, then that's it. They're family and they got this bond. They stick up for each other. They might be outlaws and all but they always do the right thing. They're just outlaws because of circumstance." Ryan paused, close to tears. "That's like you and me, Trey. We're brothers forever. It's okay if you weren't here tonight. Mom just would've hurt you too."

"I'm sorry, man."

"Quit saying that, Trey. It's okay."

"No, not about the beating. Well yeah about that too, but about your books." Trey shook his head. "Mom must have been seriously whacked tonight to do that."

"Yeah." Ryan could still see his books. The paperbacks from the used book store as well as the library books. Pages torn and ripped out. Thrown into the tub along with the books, the water running over them. His mom pouring bleach over the whole soggy mess. Screaming and hitting him all the while. Spilling bleach on him and on her. Out of control. "I guess I can't go back to the library anymore. Not unless I pay for the books. Fat chance of that happening."

"Dude." Trey laughed. "Just steal them. How hard can it be? It's a fucking library not a bank."

"When was the last time you were in a library? Huh? Never probably. They got guards and metal detectors and stuff. And it's a library. You can't steal from a library. It's like stealing from church."

"So what set her off tonight anyway"

"I don't know. I think she planned to go out. Maybe with that new guy she's seeing. He never showed and she just got pissed off. Said it was my fault."

"Your fault. I guess cause you were born and all, huh. Hey, in those books of yours do the Sacketts always win"

"Yeah, so far."

"Well, Ryan. Your name's not Sackett. You're an Atwood. We never win."


End file.
